Penn State alumna Barbara Ovrutsky Muckle has always been passionate about creating.

As the art director of Printfresh, she has proven that style and inclusivity aren’t mutually exclusive while highlighting the versatility of the brand’s apparel.

Based in Philadelphia, Printfresh is best known for its loungewear and apparel. The company is a majority-woman-owned lifestyle brand with a large following on social media, focused on sustainable practices, inclusivity, and philanthropy.

Muckle originally enrolled at Penn State as a film major, however, it was during her sophomore year that she had a change of heart and decided to pursue a degree in journalism and a minor in photography, instead.

“I love art, and I love photography, and I’ve always wanted to do something creative,” Muckle said.

Entering the fall of her senior year, Muckle began an internship at Seventeen, an American teen magazine, and was offered a position as an art assistant. Muckle worked in publishing and magazines for a large part of her career.

While working for Country Living, she climbed her way up, eventually serving as photo director. In 2015, she decided publishing was no longer her calling and switched career paths to focus more on marketing.

Today, as Printfresh’s art director, Muckle’s creativity is displayed as she manages photoshoots, books locations, hires models, and works alongside prop stylists. She has been able to oversee a team while ensuring that Print Fresh’s vision and values are maintained.

“Once everything is finished, everything is passed to my end where I’m responsible for everything the customer sees,” said Muckle.

Muckle’s creative inspiration behind planning a photoshoot starts when she meets with Printfresh’s founder Amy Voloshin, who ideates the collections. From there, Muchkle finds locations, props, and models to bring her vision to life.

Ultimately, challenges are bound to arise when overseeing a team through a design process, whether that be a fault in coordination or a creative block. Muckle says the best way to handle challenges is to “lead them head-on.” She emphasized the importance of communication when collaborating with a team to combat challenges that arise.

When dealing with creative blocks, Muckle’s main advice is to pivot to a non-creative task and return to the more complex work the next day with a fresh set of eyes. Often, she’s found that asking for feedback has helped her continue to expand her creativity.

“I think that’s something I’ve also had to learn a lot in my life, as I’ve grown to just learn don’t take things personally. It’s not personal. It’s business,” Muckle said.

“The goal really is to sell the product and have people be happy, that’s what matters,” Muckle continued.

One of Muckle’s jobs is to ensure that Printfresh’s commitment to inclusivity is displayed. Print Fresh offers a size range from XXS to 6X in pajamas and is committed to constantly working on their sizing.

“We’re always trying to shoot on a variety of people and body types,” Muckle said. “We really want to make sure that everybody can see themselves in our brand.” 

Another one of the values she incorporates in her work is Print Fresh’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. She aims to capture this message in her work.

“We’re always trying to create ads to educate the customer about what makes us special, what sets us apart because I do think that’s what sets Print Fresh apart from other brands,” Muckle shared.

Her final piece of advice for Penn State students who one day aim to work in the fashion industry is to always remember the importance of remaining attentive and taking initiative.

“Internships. Intern, intern, intern. Build those connections,” she said. “When you intern, be the best intern you can be.”

The future is busy for Muckle as Printfresh’s art director. The brand plans to shoot its summer pajama and apparel collection in Los Angeles, which will be released in April. Coming up, the brand’s iconic dog and cat prints are in the making, along with more fun collaborations with other well-known brands.